The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-05-18
PROFESSOR CHARLES.
BY FLonrNE rHAYER MORAY.

BY FLORINE THAYER MORAY.
1t was the night before the summer
vacation at the old Bradford Female
Seminary. Studies and recitations had
been carried on with some difficulty and
irregularity during the day, and glimpse
into the double room IA" would have
shown the astonished principal that the
girls were making a night of it as only
boarding-school girls know how to do.
Waterproof cloaks darkened the windows,
a line of jaunty wraps of various styles
hung up and down the cracks in the
doorway, and dark shawl spread and
tackled carefully over the transom pre-
vented any ray of light penetrating the
dark hall after the bell should have rung,
with all the young ladies supposed to be
in bed. 1t was half-past nine, and, in
anticipation of the provoking and quite
ineXcusable custom of the institution
which shut off the gas from the halls
promptly at ten, numerous candles,
mostly reduced to stubs and placed in
the noses of blacking-bottles and small
vases, burned before the mirrors of the
dressing-cases and on the little book
shelves and window-sills. Eleven girls,
in various conditions of toilet, arranged
entirely suit the taste of the wearers, sat
about the room, and while preparations
for feast were evidently complete, they
waited.
'Well," said Jennie Bemis, who sat
on the floor with her plump little hands
clasped about her knees, shaking her
closely cropped curly head impatiently,
''this is little too much Now that we
have everything ready for lovely time,
Ben must go and-ah absent herself"
This remark, finishing with perfect
imitation of the most precise of their
teachers, raised a general giggle, which
was speedily suppressed by a whispered
-"Shl Do you want 'Prisms' herself to
knock at the doorl'
''It is cruel sin for Ben to stay away
like this, said pretty Kitty Glazier who
sighed, and then proceeded to fish a
small piece of candied ginger out of the
jar with hairpin. This sweet morsel
she was munching pensively, unnoticed
by the girls who lounged around, until
Fan Kendall saucy, red-haired nymph
who lay upon the bed, her arms folded
under her bright head-suddenly cried
out in remonstrance:
exit, think you might wait for the
rest of u.s. 1t is bad enough to see all
these things spelling for want of eating,
without you picking around"
Fan pouted, and as she arose to a sit
ting posture continued: "Now, whats
to be donel We have waited for Ben
one hour. If she chooses to keep away,
move that we go on without herI"
"We might wait fifteen minutes long
err" said Florence Healey, tall, dark
haired girl, who sat in the rocking chair,
in white wrapper and supported the
dignity becoming the president of the
secret society of "The Mystic Twelve, "
which, lacking member, were there as
sembled. "We cannot very we'll open the
door, or Sue might go and look for her "
She looked inquiringly at the others.
"No, no! 'Prisms' would be sure to
catch CLEAN of light" said Jennie
''and-T am surprised At this hour,
young ladies = " again giving an inimit-
able representation of the manner of Miss
Perrin, irreverently dubbed "Prisms" by
the girls. just then mutiled knock, re-
peated three times, was heard at the
door. There was general stir. "Ah!
there is Ben at lastv
"What can have kept you away until
this time?n they cried. 1--WE have been
waiting full hourm
IA petite figure, with curling brown
hair, which was disheveled and part
awry; a pair of brown eyes, which were
large with mixed emotions and weari-
ness; and bright flush on the fair cheeks
this was Ben as she slipped into the
room and threw herself down on the
tumbled bed with a despairing gesture.
Don't speak to me! Don't say a
word !" she cried. II am almost dead.
l thought l should have tainted away
Oh, how my back aches" But she soon
arose, and tossing back her thick bang
with a quick hand, looked about the
groupof impatient girls with a face full
of mysterious import, and asked, with a
touch of her foretinger on the knee of the
nearest: "Where do you suppose l have
been for the last mortal hourW
I'm F. VS. study, getting a lecture
for laughing at prayers
''ln the music-room, receiving a pro
posal of marriage from Professor Charles. ,
The last sally provoked a loud litter
for Ben had taken it upon herself to be
sentimental over the handsome professor
in spite of his announced engagement tC
a young teacher, and had raved about
him to her eleven confidential friends il
n manner which was the more affecting
from ~he hopelessness of her assumed
passion.
But Florence Healey blushed almos
angrily, and said
Nonsense! Come, Ben, let us know
what has detained you so long"
Il will" " was the answer; 'but pre-
viously let's have something to eat
am nearly famished. / will take twC
sardines on this piece of brown bread
| She held out her mug for coffee, whicl